Everything Changes
by ThankGodImCute
Summary: High school life is very different for the former members of the BSC.
1. First Day Jitters

Kristy groaned as her alarm clock buzzed loudly in her ear. The first day of school had arrived. She pounded the clock until it ceased its angry ringing, and then lay in bed for a moment longer. She dreaded the thought of going back to school. Her friends usually agreed with her on that point, but this year they were all excited. High school was a big deal to them. They were excited about the new freedoms they'd have and finally leaving Stoneybrook Middle School. Kristy was different. She hated the change. She dreaded leaving behind her comfortable school, her favorite teachers, and having to start acting "grown up". Mostly, she hated the thought of no more BSC. The BSC had been her life. She pushed thoughts of the club to the back of her mind. They were all too mature for that now. Kristy dragged herself out of bed and plodded over to her large closet. As she grabbed a t-shirt, Kristy looked out her large bedroom window. She longed for the days when she lived in her tiny old house. She missed looking out of her own bedroom, and straight into Mary-Anne's. Kristy threw on the t-shirt, and hunted on the floor for her favorite jeans. She found them stashed under her desk. She'd worn them for the past three days or so, but they smelled decent. With a shrug, she slipped into them. Then she ran a comb through her hair, flipped it into a messy ponytail and thundered down the stairs of her huge house.  
"Hi Mom," Kristy said. She put her hand lightly on her mother's growing belly. Kristy couldn't believe her mother was going to have a baby! The house, big as it was, was already full enough! Kristy also wasn't sure how she felt about being fourteen years older than her youngest sibling. However, a part of her was excited, and the baby was coming whether she was excited or not, so Kristy decided to make herself happy about it. It was just hard to imagine a woman of her mother's age having a baby. In fact, her mother hadn't thought it could happen either.  
"Are you excited about being a freshman?" Mrs. Thomas-Brewer asked.  
Kristy shrugged, and stuffed a huge spoonful of cereal into her mouth.  
"I loved high school; those were the best years of my life!" Watson said thoughtfully.  
"What about me? I'm starting third grade!" David Michael said around a mouthful of toast.  
Mr. and Mrs. Brewer exchanged small smiles.  
"That's very exciting, too!" Mrs. Thomas-Brewer reassured him.  
"Even Emily Michelle is starting school. We're all grown up now," Kristy said with a heavy sigh.  
"Well not quite grown up.....but definitely getting older!" Mrs. Thomas-Brewer said.  
Kristy sighed. That was just the problem. She didn't really want to get older and grown up. She wanted to stay fourteen. She liked fourteen. She liked her life. Why did everything have to change?  
Sam came bounding down the stairs. Kristy watched him thoughtfully as he gulped down his juice. Even Sam would be a senior this year. Pretty soon he'd be gone, just like Charlie.  
"You ready, Kristy? I'm not getting detention the first day," Sam said.  
"Yeah, I'm ready. Bye everybody. See ya later," Kristy replied dejectedly.  
"Have fun, honey! Oh wait.....pictures....I need first day of school pictures," Mrs. Thomas-Brewer suddenly remembered.  
"Aw mom," Kristy groaned, but she was actually happy about this. At least some things stayed the same.  
  
Mary-Anne  
Mary-Anne couldn't believe she was actually starting high school. It had always been something that seemed so far off. One of those things you say will happen someday. She had always thought she'd be scared. Mary-Anne was a shy person, and she liked her comfortable group of friends, but she had to admit she was excited. She was actually more excited than she was scared. Sure, she was nervous, but a part of her felt like she was ready for this next phase of her life. She loved her friends with all her heart, but she wanted to meet new and different people, older people, cool people. She had always known she liked English, and writing, and baby- sitting, but now she had a chance to explore brand new interests. She would get to find out who she was exactly. The thing that excited Mary-Anne the most was that everybody in the whole school didn't know her. They didn't see her as shy, quiet Mary-Anne Spier. To them, she wasn't Logan's girlfriend, or Kristy's best friend, or even Dawn's step sister. She was just a girl. A girl with mystery. She could become anybody she wanted.....if she could find the courage. When she'd first gotten her schedule in the mail, Mary-Anne was devastated that she didn't have a single class with Kristy, Claudia, or Stacy. Now, she had started to look at that as an opportunity. This was her big chance to be brave and discover herself.  
"Mary-Anne, what in the world are you thinking about," Sharon asked from the living room.  
Mary-Anne spun out of her reverie and looked at Sharon, who was in some weird yoga pose.  
"Nothing....why?" she asked.  
"Well, you've been staring out that window for ages, and you didn't even notice the school bus just pulled up," Sharon said, with a laugh.  
"Oh my gosh! Bye Sharon, I love ya! Tell dad I said bye," Mary-Anne shrieked. She grabbed her bag and scurried to the door.  
"Have a great first day! You have to tell me all about it," Sharon said as she fell over.  
Mary-Anne laughed. Sharon was so funny. Who else could do yoga and hold a conversation at the same time?  
  
Claudia  
  
Claudia and school didn't mix. They never had. School just wasn't for her. That was why, at precisely this moment, she was wishing she were sixteen instead of fourteen. If she were sixteen, she could just drop out, and become a famous artist. But, right now, she had to get up and go to school instead. Of course, high school had its perks. She would get a license, there would be lots of hot older guys, she could join the art club, and meet people who were more like her. She used to have Stacey, but they had grown apart even more over the summer. Kristy and Mary-Anne.....she loved them, but they were lost causes. They were just very different from her. Claudia was tired of pretending to be this normal suburban girl. She didn't feel that way anymore. She felt like all the things inside of her were ready to come out. This had been intensified at her art camp this summer. For the first time, she'd met people like her. People who were truly dedicated to an art. People who enjoyed being different. The only person she'd ever known like that was Ashley Wyeth....and maybe Dawn. Surely, there must be lots of people like that in high school. Claudia couldn't wait to find them.  
  
Stacey  
Stacey had big plans for high school. She was going to sign up for every club and activity humanly possible. She was going to enter the Miss SHS pageant, and try out for cheerleading. Stacey McGill wanted to be popular. It had never really mattered to her that much before. That is, until she met Erin Sanders. Erin was a rising junior at Stoneybrook High School. Stacey had met her over the summer when Erin came into "Glimmer" to shop. Glimmer was the hottest boutique in New York City. Stacey had been lucky to get a summer job there. One day while she was folding shirts, a girl walked in. She was the most beautiful girl Stacey had ever seen. She had long shimmery golden red hair, green eyes, and the newest most fashionable clothes. Stacey had barely been able to stop staring at her. Something about Erin was so captivating. The girl returned the stare.  
"You look very familiar," she said.  
"Oh....I don't know. I don't usually live here. I'm just spending the summer with my dad," Stacey had replied, trying to sound nonchalant.  
"I'm not from here, either. I'm from well.....I'm from hell. I'm talking the smallest of all small towns," she had laughed. Her laugh was tinkling and perfect.  
"I know exactly what you mean. I live in this little place called Stoneybrook, Connecticut."  
"No way! I live there!"  
"Are you kidding. What are you doing here?", Stacey asked incredulously.  
"I don't shop in Stoneybrook! God, no way. I'm spending the week here with my family. We have a little place here that we visit sometimes."  
"Wow, that's so weird! So.......you go to Stoneybrook High,?" Stacey asked.  
"Yes. I'll be a junior. Do you go.....," Erin's face fell.  
"I think I know who you are," she continued.  
Stacey gave her a puzzled look.  
"You're in that club. The baby-sitting one. I think you sat for my little sister, Misty, once," Erin said.  
"Oh....that's right. You were going out on a date....I remember now! I....I'm not in that club anymore," Stacey said quickly. Her face was flushed. The BSC sounded so dorky to her now.  
"I see," Erin had said. Her smile had returned and she'd flipped that golden hair.  
She and Stacey had talked for awhile. Mostly, Erin answered endless questions about what SHS was really like. The good stuff they don't tell you in the student handbook. Who to hang with, who not to hang with, the hottest guys, the cliques, that kind of thing.  
When she had left the botique, Stacey promised herself that she and Erin would become friends. Erin was it. She was popular. Stacey was determined to become like her. 


	2. The Crucial First Day

Kristy  
  
Sam pulled his car into the school parking lot. SHS. There it was. The building was tall, and rambling. She'd been in it a hundred times before. She'd gone there for basketball games and fundraisers. That didn't make it her school though. SMS was her school. Sam was already bounding towards the building.  
"Hey, wait for me!", Kristy called after him.  
Sam glanced around and then came back to the car.  
"Look...Kristy. Seniors don't really hang out with freshmen. Especially not their little sisters," Sam said discreetly.  
"I'll see you after school though, right back here, I promise," he said and then ran off towards the school.  
Strong, stubborn Kristy who always kept her head felt like bursting into tears right them. She knew Sam was popular and had an "image" to keep up, but she hadn't thought he would just ditch her like that.  
Just as she was about to sink into her own despair, she saw a familiar brown bob swishing its way into the building.  
"Mary-Anne....Mary-Anne!," Kristy yelled loudly.  
Mary-Anne Spier turned around. Her face was bright red. Had Kristy embarrassed her too?  
"Hi Mary-Anne, I'm so glad to see you! I knew you'd be scared... I....I was worried about you," she stammered.  
"Kristy, I'm fine. I'm actually not that scared.," Mary-Anne said with a funny look on her face. It was a look Kristy had never seen before. Was it....could it be disgust?  
"Oh. I thought you might be nervous, ya know? Well, we should go find our lockers," Kristy said. She took a good look at Mary-Anne. Something was very different about her. She looked beautiful, practically cool. Her short hair was tucked neatly behind her small ears. Tiny silver hoops dangled from her ears, and her clothing was perfect down to the last detail. Short purple skirt, matching tank top. She looked incredible. She didn't even look like the Mary-Anne Kristy knew.  
"I guess. My locker is B22.....that means upstairs in the B building so I don't really think I"ll have any trouble finding it," Mary- Anne said.  
"Oh, yeah, well mines like C something so we're not going in the same direction, I guess," Kristy replied.  
"Guess not....we don't have the same lunch either, but I'll see you around," Mary-Anne said with a small smile.  
"Yeah, okay, sure," Kristy said, trying to return that grin.  
Mary-Anne felt extraordinarily guilty as she turned and walked into the school. Had she blown off Kristy? She hadn't meant to, but she was tired of everyone thinking she needed someone to take care of her and be with her at all times. She was the same age as her friends and perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She shook Kristy from her mind and went to find her locker.  
Mary-Anne double checked her paper. This was definitely her locker. She walked up to it, and began fiddling with the combination. A beautiful girl with shimmering hair stood next to her, also trying to open her locker.  
Mary-Anne's opened easily and she turned to the girl.  
"Need some help,?" she asked  
"Please! Its my third year here, and I still can't seem to figure these things out. Last year I left my locker unlocked all year," the girl said as she handed Mary-Anne the slip of paper with her combination.  
"Didn't people steal stuff?"  
"Nah, SHS is pretty safe. I once left my purse in the chemistry lab, money and all, and it was still there when I realized it was missing," the girl explained.  
"Oh, that's good to know," Mary-Anne said, as she popped the lock open.  
"Wow, thanks! So, I'm guessing you're a freshmen. I'm Erin. What's your name,?" she asked.  
"Mary-Anne, Mary-Anne Spier," she replied.  
"Mary-Anne. Hmm... you don't look like a Mary-Anne," Erin said.  
"I don't...what do I look like?"  
  
"I'm not sure....but Mary-Anne just reminds me of the library, glasses, and mousy hair," Erin laughed.  
"Oh, maybe I should go by my initials or something then," Mary-Anne laughed.  
"MA? Come on, that's even worse. How about just Anne. I've always liked that name. Its so simple and sweet," Erin said.  
"Anne....I like it," she repeated.  
"Well, cool. Anne, it is. Freshmen year is a time to reinvent yourself! I'll see you around." Erin flipped her hair, and with that she was gone.  
Stacey's locker was directly down the hall from Mary-Anne's and she could not believe she'd just seen her talking to Erin! Mary-Anne. Now, there was nothing wrong with Mary-Anne. She just wasn't.....well, she didn't seem like the type of person Erin would be friends with. She was so quiet, and shy/  
Stacey was filled with jealousy that Mary-Anne had managed to nab a locker right next to Erin.  
"Hey Mary-Anne! What's up,?" Stacey called.  
"Hi Stace! How was your summer,?"  
"Good....good. Who was that you were just talking to? Was that Erin Sanders?"  
"Erin, yeah, but Sander, I don't know. She just told me her first name."  
"Oh, wow, she's like really popular, you know," Stacey said.  
"Really,?" Mary-Anne asked incredulously.  
"Really, Mary-Anne. She's a cheerleader, she dates a senior, and she was crowned Miss SHS last year," Stacey continued.  
"Wow, that is so," Mary-Anne began, but was interrupted by the bell.  
"We better get to homeroom, Bye Mary-Anne," Stacey yelled.  
"Bye......oh and I'm going by Anne now. Just Anne," Mary-Anne called after her.  
Stacey gave her a puzzled look as she rounded the corner to her homeroom.  
Claudia could not believe she was actually late for her very first day of high school. Should she get a late slip or what? Did it actually count on the first day of school? She decided to risk it, and go straight to her homeroom.  
Claudia found it easily and waltzed into her classroom. Her teacher, a tall man with graying hair, looked up.  
"You're late," he boomed.  
"I know....and I'm sorry, but its my first day and....," Claudia began  
"It is everyone's first day, and they still managed to get here on time. Take a seat Miss...," he said.  
"Kishi, Claudia Kishi," Claudia replied.  
"Well, I'm Mr. Boone, and I don't tolerate lateness. From now on, when you're late, go straight to the detention room," he said.  
Claudia had a strong feeling she'd get to know that room quite well. She looked around the classroom. There was Pete Black, and Logan Bruno. They were talking and laughing. She waved to them. Logan looked up, said hi, and went back to his conversation.  
That was when she saw Ashley Wyeth. She waved her over. Thank God, Claudia thought. At least someone wanted to sit with her.  
"Hey Claud, wild outfit. Good to see you," Ashley said. Ashley was clad in a long flowered skirt, a white flowy top, and brown hiking boots. As always, she was "hippie" to the max. Ashley was never afraid to be different. That was exactly what Claud loved about her.  
She and Ashely had started to become friends in eighth grade, but Ashley was too intense for Claud. She was very dedicated to her art, and felt that Claudia should be too. Then, Claudia hadn't had time because of baby-sitting, but now she had nothing but.  
"Are you signing up for art club," Ashley demanded.  
"Yes, I'm planning on it. I'm finally ready to get serious about my art," Claudia said.  
"Wow. That's way awesome. I'm still into mine, but I've learned that like anything can be art. I like drama , now, and film, and painting, and oh....just every kind of art," Ashley babbled, her face glowing.  
Claudia grinned. Ashley was so cool. She was never afraid to say anything. She didn't think twice about sounding "stupid". She didn't need to be understood. She was just Ashley and that was good enough for her.  
Claudia wished she could posses that quality. In some ways she did. She didn't care what anybody thought about her outrageous clothes. At least.....that's what she'd always told herself. The truth was that everbody thought her clothes were pretty cool. She wasn't sure how she'd feel if people didn't think so. On some level, she did care what people thought. She hated it when people thought she was stupid. She hated being compared to Janine. She hated all those things. She wanted desperately to be free from them.  
"Claudia...hello? Anyway, I was saying that I'm going to cut third period today, and go see this art show they're having downtown? Lenny, Peace, and Kemper are going too. You game?," Ashely blurted into Claudia's thoughts.  
"Cut third period? I don't know, Ash, it's only the FIRST day," Claudia said.  
"What do you have third,?" Ashely asked.  
"Home economics....it was the only elective open," Claudia moaned.  
"See, nothing important! We should totally go!," Ashley replied.  
"Won't we get caught,?" Claudia worried.  
"No way, there are so many kids in classes like that. I'm sure the teacher wouldn't even notice....or care. This is high school. Live a little," Ashley said.  
"Well...all right.....but just one question. Who are Lenny, Peace, and Kemper," Claudia asked.  
"Oh they're awesome! Lenny and Kemper are seniors. Kemper is real hot, he's got this little yellow bug. He'll be driving us. Peace is a sophomore. We met this summer. She's awesome. Really sweet, you'll like everybody," Ashley bumbled on.  
"Guys with cars! This is starting to sound better and better," Claudia laughed. Her tensions left her. This would be fun. This would be what high school was about. Freedom, cutting class, and living life!  
"So third period, be right out front. I'll wait for you a couple minutes after the bell rings, but not long. Kemper is gonna want to get outta here FAST. If he gets caught, he loses his parking pass and everything," Ashley explained.  
"Awesome," Claudia replied, just as the first period bell rang. 


	3. First Period

Kristy's first period class was Spanish I. It was a class she had  
looked forward to when she'd first gotten her schedule. Now, she  
dreaded it. Kristy was rarely shy, but now she was starting to worry  
that the teacher would make her speak in class and she would sound  
stupid. What was wrong with her? Kristy never worried about things  
like that. It was probably because she always had her friends to back  
her up. As that thought crossed her mind, Claudia walked into the  
room.  
Relief washed over Kristy. Finally, someone she knew. Now she could relax and be herself.  
"Hi Claud," Kristy bellowed.  
"Kristy. Hey," Claudia said with a smile.  
"How's your day been so far,?" Kristy asked.  
"Really good. I hooked up with Ashley Wyeth in homeroom. You remember her, right? Well, we're cutting third to go see this art show. I'm so excited, Kris! Its like we're finally real teenagers! Ya know? We can cut class, and party, and do all kinds of things," Claudia gushed. She looked so happy and excited.  
"Claudia....are you serious? You're really going to cut the first day,?" Kristy asked.  
"Well yeah. Ashley said that nobody would notice though. It isn't like elementary school, Kristy."  
"How does Ashley know? She's a freshmen just like us," Kristy muttered.  
Claudia sighed. Would Kristy ever be cool?  
"Look Claud, she has friends that go here. Senior friends. They know. Trust me, it'll be okay," Claudia said. She rolled her eyes.  
"I guess...but its really not a smart thing to do," Kristy informed her.  
"Don't call me stupid! God, Kristy, I'm not an idiot. I can take care of myself. Just because I'm not a goody goody like you doesn't mean I'm a bad person," Claudia said so loudly the girl in front of her turned around.  
"I didn't call you stupid! I just said it wasn't a smart thing to do. That's all. I don't think you're stupid but....I'm not a goody goody," Kristy shot back.  
"Whatever. I don't need you telling me whats smart and what isn't," Claudia said.  
She looked like she would have had a lot more to say if the teacher hadn't walked in just then.  
As Ms. Garcia rambled on and on about all the things they were going to learn this semester, Claudia seethed. She was so mad at Kristy! She was sick of people always thinking they were smarter than her. She didn't want to stay cooped up in school all day, and just follow the rules like all these boring people.  
Kristy was trying to pay attention and fight back tears at the same time. Could this day get any worse? She didn't feel at all like herself. Mary-Anne had practically ignored her, she'd had a fight with Claudia, and Sam didn't want anything to do with her. Kristy had no clue what to do to make herself feel better. Her thoughts wandered to the gallon of ice cream in the refrigerator at home. What she could really use, she thought, was a big bowl of ice cream, some brain-rotting television and a good cry. 


End file.
